


If you're happy and you know it(clap your hands)

by Sdktrs12



Series: Something Gained [2]
Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic, F/M, Fluff, Mild Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21611224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sdktrs12/pseuds/Sdktrs12
Summary: Favor #1 - IKEA AssemblyBeth turns back to the headache that’s laid out on the floor of the living room before her and an idea forms in her head that has her whipping back around to face Rio, bright smile on her face as she bats her eyelashes at him.He’s caught off guard for a minute, an emotion passing over his face that she doesn’t have time to interpret before he’s looking past her, to the IKEA boxes, and a look of realization slides into place instead.Rio’s shaking his head before she even opens her mouth to ask, taking a few steps back toward the door. “Nuh uh.”
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Series: Something Gained [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556221
Comments: 13
Kudos: 151





	If you're happy and you know it(clap your hands)

There are what looks like a million little screws and wooden dowels and brackets and things Beth doesn’t even know the name of, scattered over top of 8 different sheets of assembly instructions for one damn shelving unit and Beth curses Annie for talking her into going to IKEA for the first time with her. For talking her into buying this shelving unit in the first place. For bouncing as soon as they got back to Beth’s apartment and Beth talked about actually putting it together. 

Beth’s standing over everything, hands on hips, trying to decide if she wants to even attempt this cursed journey or return the whole damn thing, when there’s a knock at her front door. 

She breathes a sigh of relief at the welcome distraction, practically skipping over to answer it. She pulls on the doorknob with a little more force than necessary in her enthusiasm, sending the door flying open, surprising both her and Rio, who stands on the other side. 

Rio looks her over, face full of judgement as he crosses his arms over his chest. “You even check that peephole ‘fore you answer the door? Or you just not care about murderers wanderin’ the halls.” 

Beth rolls her eyes and turns around, walking back into her apartment, leaving the door open for him to follow her in. “The only person who wants to murder me around here is you. Everyone else finds me just peachy.” 

They’ve become semi-close since their ill-fated night with the spider. They exchange more than ‘hello’s’ when they see each other now, and he’s made a habit of stopping by her apartment now and again, always with unsolicited advice. And normally he doesn’t knock. Apparently this was a test—and she’d failed. 

( _Elizabeth, lock your damn doors and windows, even when you at home. **Especially** when you at home. _

_Carry somethin’ you can defend yourself with if you gonna be comin’ and goin’ by yourself late at night._

_Check the fuckin’ peephole ‘fore you open the door._ ) 

That last one really pisses him off, but she can’t help it, sometimes she just forgets. And honestly, he’s just too damn paranoid anyway. 

She hears him mumble something about peaches and side eyes him, just knowing whatever comment he’s made is probably filthy and designed to make her blush. She chooses to ignore it. 

Beth turns back to the headache that’s laid out on the floor of the living room before her and an idea forms in her head that has her whipping back around to face Rio, bright smile on her face as she bats her eyelashes at him. 

He’s caught off guard for a minute, an emotion passing over his face that she doesn’t have time to interpret before he’s looking past her, to the IKEA boxes, and a look of realization slides into place instead. 

Rio’s shaking his head before she even opens her mouth to ask, taking a few steps back toward the door. “Nuh uh.” 

And really, she was kind of expecting that reaction. She was hoping to at least get a few flirtatious looks in before he outright said no though, try to bend him to her will a little. And god, isn’t _that_ just a laugh. Because it's been so long that she doesn’t even really remember the logistics of flirting and Rio seems to be immune to anything she’d throw at him anyway. So, she’ll just have to play her trump card. And hope he was serious about agreeing to those IOU’s. 

“Oh, you don’t get to ‘nuh uh’ me, you owe me remember?” Beth points out, a little too smugly. 

Rio’s stepping closer then, the corner of his mouth quirking up and Beth regrets throwing that back in his face because she just _knows_ he’s going to say something completely inappropriate. “Oh, you cashin’ in on those favors already? Here I thought they might involve things of a more...intimate nature.” 

Beth ignores the way that makes her flush, wishing Rio would too. But of course, he’s grinning as his eyes trail down to follow as it spreads over her chest. 

She feels embarrassed enough as it is, asking him for help. _Again_. He must think she’s some helpless idiot, can’t even kill a spider or put furniture together on her own. 

She’s supposed to be a strong independent woman. And she is, damnit. But he _owes_ her and he seems willing and able enough. There’s nothing wrong with using that to her advantage. For now. 

Right...? 

“Rio. I need help. Please?” Beth pouts a little, batting her blue eyes again. She knows the affect they can have on people. 

Rio sighs resignedly, closing the rest of the distance between them to stand next to her, looking down at the mess she has made. 

He gives her a thorough once over and Beth tries not to fidget under his scrutiny. “You play real dirty, ma.” He leans down, snatching up one of the pages and looking it over. 

A slow smile spreads across Beth’s face as she bounces a little in place, her hands clasped together underneath her chin. “You’re going to help?” 

“Course I am.” He responds, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world and Beth’s stomach clenches a little. She realizes that the flirting wasn’t necessary, or even the blackmail. All she had to do was simply ask him and he was more than happy to oblige, even if he did put on a bit of a show about it. 

“Well in that case, would you like something to drink?” She asks, trying to distract herself from her own thoughts. She heads over to the kitchen before he even says anything, knowing exactly how he’s going to answer. 

(Black tea, she thinks to herself.) 

“Yah, tea. Black.” His voice comes from behind her, slightly distracted. Beth smiles, feeling warm from the domesticity that comes with these little moments she has with him. 

She’s taken to stocking various tea flavors since he’s started dropping by more often. She only ever drinks green, but that’s literally the only kind he _won't_ drink. Of course. 

Beth pulls down her tea kettle, two mugs, and two tea bags. Green for her, Black for him. She fills the kettle and sets it on the burner to bring to a boil. 

She leans back against the kitchen counter and just silently observes him for a moment. 

He’s kneeling down now, back on his heels, instructions in one hand, his other hand sorting through all the tiny pieces. Beth finds herself transfixed on them-- his hands. How large they are, how rough she knows they feel. Those long nimble fingers of his, sorting through the pieces, flipping through the pages of instructions. 

She watches as he leans forward to pull one of the boxes containing the shelves and drawers closer to him and her breath hitches as she watches the muscles in his arms flex as he starts pulling stuff out. Her fingers twitch a little with the need to trace over the black bars that line the backs of his arms. 

The kettle starts whistling and Rio looks up and over toward the noise, catching Beth staring at him. 

A smile spreads slowly across his face and Beth quickly turns away, removing the kettle from the heat and pouring water over the tea bags in each mug. 

She brings them out to the living room, where he now has all the shelf and drawer pieces pulled out of their boxes and spread out on the floor. He turns to her and she holds out his mug. His fingers brush against hers as she hands it off and she jerks her hand back, almost spilling both their drinks. 

He smirks at her, clearing amused by her overreaction and Beth clears her throat as she quickly steps around him. She settles cross legged on the floor next to him and picks a page from the instructions. 

“So, you know how to do this right? It’s not going to take 5 hours and then end up falling apart when I try to put something on top of it?” 

“Have some faith, ma. These instructions are shit, but I think I can figure out how to put a dresser together.” 

“It’s a bookcase.” Beth laughs, pointing to the finished picture on the last instruction page and Rio snatches the page away from her, squinting at it as he huffs out a sigh. 

It’s an hour later, when yet another string of curse words is leaving Rio’s mouth, that Beth thinks she might’ve had better luck on her own. 

“Have you ever even put furniture together before?” Beth teases, can’t help feeling a little giddy at being able to personally witness him failing miserably at something. 

“I don’t buy shit from IKEA, Elizabeth.” His tone is clipped, he’s concentrating on pushing some wooden dowels into a hole, or screwing something in place- she doesn’t even really know, had given up keeping track fifteen minutes after they started. 

“Clearly.” She can’t help goading him. He’s always mercilessly teasing her, always trying to get her blushing, so this is a nice change of pace. Well, for her anyway. “Now that I think about it, I haven’t even seen your apartment yet, do you actually _have_ any furniture in there? Are you keeping me from it because you’re too embarrassed--” Beth cuts off on a shriek as Rio tackles her back onto her area rug. Beth is thankful that it’s plush and not the bare wood floors underneath, because even with the extra padding, she can feel the slight pain in her back and the air leave her lungs as his weight lands on her. 

“The smart ass remarks aint helpin’.” He growls from above her and Beth giggles a little as she finally focuses in on his face, clocking the annoyed look there. 

“No? My constant sarcastic commentary doesn’t do anything for you? Imagine that.” She needles, poking him in the side. He jerks away from her touch and her eyes widen a little. “Are you ticklish?” She is absolutely delighted by this discovery and goes to poke his other side, but he’s faster than her, has both wrists pinned up above her head before she even realizes what’s happening. 

And then she’s suddenly hyper aware of how closely their bodies are pressed together right now. And now that she’s realized it, she can’t _un_ realize it and it’s all she can focus on. 

His face is entirely too close- if she lifted her head just a few inches, their lips would meet. Her breasts are squashed against his chest and their legs are all tangled up, and Beth can feel the shift in Rio-- when he notices that _she's_ noticed. 

His grip loosens a little on her wrists, so she could pull them free if she wanted to. She could push him off of her. She could move away. 

She doesn’t want to. 

Rio’s eyes are focused on hers, and _god_ , were they this dark before? The expression in them...it leaves her breathless. His focus drifts down to her mouth and Beth can’t help it, it’s like a reflex, her tongue darting out to wet them and Rio’s hand tightens around her wrists again. Beth feels like she’s breathing way too heavily, her heart is pumping way too fast, she’s 2.5 seconds away from detonating like a bomb. She squirms under him, hips wiggling, feeling restless at his weight on top of her, and they both groan at the movement. At the feel of his half hard erection pressing against her, the ache between her legs desperate for more friction. 

She rocks her hips with more purpose this time and Rio swears above her, the hand not holding her wrists together coming up to grasp at her hip, then sliding up, fingers grazing against the skin under her shirt... 

Beth’s phone starts vibrating in her back pocket, the suddenness of it making her gasp, pulling her out of the moment. She reflexively jerks her hands out of Rio’s hold and he pushes himself up and away from her. 

Beth clears her throat, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she sits up. It’s Annie. Beth thinks about sending it to voicemail, still annoyed with her for not sticking around to help her with the bookcase, but she could _definitely_ use a minute to pull herself together. She pushes herself up off the floor, swiping at her screen and bringing the phone up to ear. 

“Hello?” 

“Are you still planning on making the cake for Sadie’s birthday?” Annie’s muffled voice comes through the speaker, forgoing any sort of greeting and getting straight to the point. 

Beth steps away from the living room, wandering back over to the kitchen, studiously avoiding Rio. “I mean, I _can_. I wouldn't say planned, since this is the first I'm hearing of it.” 

“I mean, it’s kinda just what you do. You decorate and you make things, and you bake. You’re like, a walking Pinterest board.” 

Beth rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue because...well it’s true. “Flavor?” 

Annie snorts. “Chocolate. How is that even a question?” Beth can still barely hear her. 

“I will add it to my list.” Which is already way too long, but it always is. Whenever she checks one thing off, another takes it’s place. “Why is your voice all low?” 

“I stole Greg’s chips and I'm hiding from him while I eat them.” 

Beth huffs out a laugh as she pictures Annie, cramped up in one of her tiny closets, shoveling Greg’s chips into her mouth before he can find her. “Right.” 

“Okay, well I was just calling about Sadie’s cake, I'll talk to you later!” 

“Annie, you literally could’ve just texted me that.” 

“I know. Love you, byeee.” And with that Annie hangs up. Doesn’t even ask about the bookcase or if Beth still needs help with it. Why is she not surprised? 

Beth pockets her phone, taking a deep breath, before reluctantly turning back to Rio. 

He’s right back to where he left off working on the bookcase. Like they weren’t just rolling around on the carpet, ready to tear each others clothes off.  
And—maybe they weren’t. Maybe this is just a regular Tuesday night for him.  
Make snarky remarks toward the girl next door- check.  
Pretend to help her put her furniture together- check.  
Roll around on the carpet with her whilst dry humping a bit and then pretend like there isn’t a massive amount of unresolved sexual tension there afterward- check and check. 

Well, at least he’s _not_ trying to talk about it. Rio doesn’t seem like the type to talk much. Just, to _do_. 

Which she thinks may be where part of this attraction is coming from. He throws her off balance. He’s unlike anyone else she’s ever had in her life. 

On the whole, her attraction to him seems fairly obvious enough. She has to wonder though, why _he_ seems to be attracted to _her_. Sure, she knows she’s pretty, is a decent conversationalist, and of course, there’s the boobs. She’s been plagued with them since puberty and she’s gotten pretty good at covering them up, but you can’t _not_ notice them. 

Still, Rio seems like he can have, and probably has had, anyone he wants. She’s nothing special. So why does he keep humoring her? 

“Almost done.” Rio’s voice pulls Beth from her thoughts and she zeros in on him. 

“Really?!” Beth bounces over to the bookshelf and looks it over critically. It looks great, the only thing left to put in are the drawers once it’s upright. Her eyes narrow in on some extra pieces off to the side. 

Beth points to them, looking over at Rio suspiciously. “Are there supposed to be leftover pieces?” 

“Sure.” 

Beth rolls her eyes up toward the ceiling, letting out a deep sigh. 

“Stop stressin’. Where you want it?” 

Beth momentarily forgets about the extra pieces and turns, considering the room. She points to a spot on the far wall. “Over against that wall, by the window.” 

He tilts his chin up. “Wanna grab that end?” 

“You sure it's not going to fall apart if we move it?” She snarks. He stares her down, clearly not amused, so she throws her hands up in surrender. 

“Okay, okay!” She grabs onto one side while he grabs the other and they tilt it up and walk it over to the window. 

They slide the drawers in and shimmy it a little from side to side, until Beth is satisfied with the placement. 

She hurries over to the coffee table, grabs the book she’d been reading from there, and hurries back, sliding it onto the middle shelf. She claps her hands together as she steps back and looks it over, grinning. 

Rio steps up next to her and she turns to him, grin still in place. “Thank you so much.” 

“Not a problem, sweetheart. Like puttin’ that smile on your face.” He reaches over and runs a knuckle down the side of her cheek, bumping it against her chin playfully. 

Beth averts her eyes, hand coming up to nervously twist a strand of hair around her finger as she tries not to blush. It’s useless, she thinks, her blush is almost permanently present when he’s around. 

She tries to think of something to say. Should she ask him to stay and hang out? Go out for a drink? Should she bring up what happened between them earlier? Does she want them to _continue_ what they had almost started? 

“Elizabeth.” 

Beth snaps out of her reverie, eyes meeting Rio’s. 

He reaches out and gently pulls at her hand, disentangling it from her hair. “Stop thinkin’ so much.” He gives her hand a quick squeeze before letting it go. “I gotta head out, got some things to do. I'll see you around though, yeah?” 

Beth is both relieved and disappointed. Her mind tends to spiral when he’s around and she never knows how to act. She tends to feel a bit messy and awkward when it comes to him. 

She walks him to the door, leaning against the frame as he steps out into the hallway. “Thanks again for helping me put that together. My sister talked me into buying it and then completely ditched me once we got it back here.” 

“Think your sister had the right idea.” 

Beth laughs and he turns away, heading straight for the staircase. She’s almost got the door closed when he turns back at the last minute. 

“Lock your door and remember to check that damn peephole, Elizabeth.” 

Beth rolls her eyes, waving her hand out dismissively before closing her door. 

She leans back against it, her mind replaying every detail of his body pressed up against hers on the floor.


End file.
